Quebec has made headlines over the past week by proposing to move to a tendering process for generic drugs in an effort to reduce the $800 million per year it says it spends on generics. But if the tendering of generics does become reality — and that’s a big if — it’s not necessarily going to […]
As technology and heightened customer expectations spur demand for change in life and health benefits, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is aiming to be “proactive and lead the discussion” on significant issues facing the industry, according to its new president and chief executive officer. There are many questions about big data, says Stephen Frank, […]
The Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association is urging Quebec to abandon its plan to issue tenders for generic drugs. The provincial government’s plan represents a risky tendering scheme that could have negative repercussions for the pharmaceutical industry by threatening the supply of generic drugs and indirectly harming the economy, according to a statement by association president Jim […]
Quebec’s long-awaited move to ask drug manufacturers to bid for exclusive supply contracts for generic prescription drugs should help private benefit plans, according to an expert on drug pricing. “I expect private plans to benefit [from this move],” says John-Paul Dowson, managing director at Roubaix Strategies Inc. That’s because, according to Dowson, Quebec law prevents selling drugs […]
The federal government has proposed amendments to the patented medicines regulations to reduce the costs of prescription drugs in Canada. “This is a consultation process, so what comes out at the other end remains to be seen, but it could significantly change drug pricing in Canada if [the amendments] were all implemented,” says Suzanne Lepage, a private health […]
A year ago, the Association of Ontario Midwives Benefits Trust received its highest drug claim ever at $55,000 for a 12-week treatment of Harvoni, which treats hepatitis C. The plan deliberated whether it would fund the drug but it ultimately decided not to. “It was a very difficult decision,” says Nicole Mellin, executive director at […]
Canadians face a significant gap in access to coverage for obesity-related treatments, a new report suggests. In a survey of Canadians with private drug insurance, only 8.8 per cent reported having access to anti-obesity medications, according to a new report from the Canadian Obesity Network. It also found public and private plans don’t tend to cover the cost of […]
In the 2017 budget released last week, the federal government said it’s aiming to lower pharmaceutical prices and improve access to prescription medications through significant investments in a variety of health-care agencies. The government has committed $140.3 million over five years, starting in 2017-2018, to Health Canada, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board and the Canadian Agency for […]
An argument for national pharmacare is the number of older Canadians who either don’t fill prescriptions or skip doses because they’re too expensive, a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests. “Universal access to necessary medicines is one of the measurable goals of the United Nations drive for universal health coverage in all countries,” wrote the […]
Now that the marketplace has moved past the golden era of drug plan management, where one could do nothing and see cost trends level off (or decline), it comes as no surprise that fear is setting in as the reality of cost increases set in.